Greyscale
by Lastchaos Darknoman
Summary: Not everything is as it seems on remnant. What some people see as beautiful colors, others cannot see. What is life like without color? Can there be a way to reintroduce it back into your life?
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hey everyone long time no see eh? I just had this idea for a story and I kind of ran with it. It's probably because of season 3 coming out.

So about my other fics. They met be continued or they may not. It depends on how much time I have and if I can get back into writing them again. It's hard to balance a job college and a girlfriend and then try to add in writing haha.

With this fic I would like to announce that chapter 2 is done and written also and that when it is released depends on the response to chapter one.

As you should know this fic will make Jaine OOC and will take some detours off of the main universe in terms of families and events in the known universe.

As always let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy!

Lastchaos

Whenever I hear someone say 'beautiful day' I reflexively agree and try to move around that conversation. Today is not a beautiful day. Neither was yesterday or the day before and if I could I'd put money on saying tomorrow isn't either. There is no such thing as a beautiful day.

I do not live in the same color filled world as the rest of humanity does. I do not see the vibrant colors that grace the hillsides and valleys surrounding our town.

There may have been a time when I had the ability to see what other people saw. But that was a long time ago, and I have since moved on. I have moved on from my naive childhood and embraced that the world was not as beautiful as it seemed. That it is a dark deep place that if you aren't careful, it will swallow you alive never to be seen again.

Once I realized the world was like this the color quickly faded from everything I saw. Now I live in a black and white world. A world viewed in grayscale. A world that does not cherish life or curse it. A world that simply goes on whether or not you want it to.

As I said before, the world wasn't always like this. It was not until I lost my parents to the unforgiving darkness that patrol this world, the creatures of Grimm, did the color fade from my eyes. They were taken from me while out on a mission, and I was left alone. An orphan never to see his family again.

I was a child of the age of seven when they were taken from me. A seven year old boy living in his big house by himself, having to do everything by himself while being supported by the village. I quickly learned of the bleak realities that we face as humans , and that has shaped who I have become today.

That is why, at the age of seventeen, I am on an airship to my next journey of my life. Beacon. An academy to train hunters and huntresses into fighting the darkness known as Grimm.

The same academy my parents had attended.

As the airship docked at what would be my world for the next four years, I grabbed my belongings. With the family heirloom, Crocea Mors strapped to my hip, and my bag full of clothing and possessions, including a single picture of my parents, I stepped off of the airship and onto the grounds that would serve as my home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A/N Hey Guys I know I promised a new chapter of this as soon as I got an adequate response from it which was pretty much just a set amount of time and views that I kept track of. Thing is, this is my third rewrite of this chapter and with a new college semester starting up plus working 30 plus hours each week for the last month with holidays and stuff I was lacking in time. Anyway i'm going to respond to some reviews that asked questions about this story before I get into it. As always I hope you enjoy.**

 **The American Wolf. -Not a colorblind Jaune but a Jaune who due to an experience in his past lost the ability to see the beauty of color in the world hence plunging him into greyscale.**

 **gusbot3000. -I mean this in a sense of literal greyscale influenced by emotion.**

 **Theunkown4299. -I do plan on continuing that story also but I lost my notebook with my notes and prompts in it so until I find that I can't do much work on it.**

As I took my first steps off of the airship and gulping down mouthfuls of fresh autumn air to counteract the motion sickness that I have had to deal with my whole life. There was a sense of organized calm to the school. The way people moved, the way the courtyard was laid out, the sense of complete and controlled order. That is until there was an explosion of fire lighting and ice and a pair of anguished screams.

Deciding to just avoid the situation completely as it was not my style to get involved I made my way to the entrance of the largest building. The Grand Hall.

Right in front of the doors to the Grand Hall was a huge statue of hunters that came before us. As I stared up at the faces of the statues I couldn't help but see the faces of my parents for a second until i blinked them away.

"Quite a sight, aren't they Mr. Arc?" Said a voice from behind me. "They serve as a reminder for us. Without Hunters and Huntresses we would not be here, the kingdoms would not exist, and darkness would rule the land. We as teachers and students serve the same purpose for future generations. Our sacrifice promises their future."

"Not that that isn't inspiring and deep, but I don't recognize you. Who are you?" I asked the older man as his words continued to ring in my head.

 _Our sacrifice promises their future_

"My apologies Mr. Arc. I am the headmaster of this school, Professor Ozpin." The man now known as Ozpin said. " I knew your parents. I am sure they would be proud of you and the decisions you have made so far. I look forward to watching your progress Mr. Arc."

"Thank you Sir." I replied with a frown. "But I have done nothing yet."

"While that is true Mr. Arc, choices are actions that can be praised also. I must be off however, good day Mr. Arc." Ozpin said as he turned and walked into the Grand Hall.

I followed the headmaster into the Grand Hall but as I entered he was already on stage. He seemed to be very quick even with having a cane to walk on. It looked like he was about to give a speech.

"I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." Ozpin said seemingly grimmly before walking off the stage and his assistant taking his place and continuing the orientation.

 _ **Time Skip: Grand Ballroom B**_

'Well this is awkward.' Jaune thought as he stood in the entrance of the grand ballroom. Ozpin must have a lot of trust in several hundred hormonal teenagers being able to sleep in the same room. They probably won't let that happen in dorm rooms though.

'Oh well, what can I do about it.' I thought as I tucked myself away in a corner away from everyone. Bringing up the list of incoming students I scanned the names and tried to put faces to them. I felt it was best to memorize the class and what I could about anyone in it.

There were some renowned students incoming. Including an heiress and a combat champion from Mystral. There was even a girl two years younger than the required entry age! It looked to be an interesting year.

 _ **Time Skip: Morning**_

The following morning I woke to see very few people awake. Only the most dedicated people would be awake to get an early training session in. Well that and some redhead annoying a boy about pancakes or something.

The combat champion from Mystral of course was one of the few. She grabbed a small bag from her duffle which must have held toiletries before locking eyes with me and giving me a small smile before walking out of the grand ballroom. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and decided to stop wasting time and do the same.

After a quick ice cold shower to perk me up and the rest of my morning rituals which included not brushing my hair, I grabbed my sword/shield combo Crocea Mors and walked out into the courtyard to run through my combat forms that I learned in a book that once belonged to my father.

As I was dipping and ducking and slashing through imaginary enemies and blocking and dodging their attacks, I had the feeling that I was being watched. As I continued through my forms I would see a flicker of motion in his peripherals in the same spot. I didn't let it bother me though. I made it into a game. Me trying to catch them and them trying to stay hidden.

I would change up what form I was practicing half way through the one I was on just to try to get to get a look a second earlier. This went on all the way through my practice and I never got more than just a glimpse of motion.

Deciding that my game was over I left the courtyard to go take a shower, a scorching hot one this time, and then head to the cafeteria for breakfast.

After a protein packed breakfast of bacon, eggs, more bacon, sausage, even more bacon, ham, and a side of bacon there was an announcement for all incoming freshman to report to the locker room and get combat ready then head to Beacon Cliffs.

As I arrived at the locker room I was given a locker number where they had stored my combat armor. I wandered the aisles but could not find my locker. Did they even have a locker 636? Did they even have that many students?

Deciding that I was just wasting my time I decided to ask for some assistance. It just so happened that the next people I saw was the one and only heiress and the Mystral combat champion, Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos.

"Excuse me Miss Schnee," I said with a respective nod. "Miss Nikos. Would you mind helping me find locker number 636?"

"Certantly, Mr…." Pyrrha responded with a smile an outstretched hand.

"Arc. Jaune Arc." I said returning the smile and giving her a handshake.

"I think your locker is this way Jaune." Pyrrha said as she started to walk down an adjacent aisle. "I saw you going through your combat forms this morning,you are pretty good. Who was your teacher?"

"That was you!" I responded with a higher voice than I should have before coughing into my fist. "I mean, I was self taught. Just found them in a book that used to belong to my father and started practicing them when I decided to become a hunter."

"You are self taught? That is surprising. You move like you've been trained for years." Pyrrha said with a smile.

"Yeah. My father always told me that if I want to do something I should do it right and the best way to do that is through practice." I responded with a slight frown. The memories of my father bringing down my mood.

"Ah here we are Jaune. Locker 636." Pyrrha pointed out as she stopped outside the locker on the far end of the locker room.

 _ **WOULD ALL INCOMING FRESHMAN REPORT TO BEACON CLIFFS IMMEDIATELY FOR TESTING**_

"Well, I think that's our cue." I said as I finished pulling my armor out of the locker. "See you there?"

"Definitely." Pyrrha responded with a smile.

 **A/N Yes I know not a perfect chapter and I haven't really got much into the grey scale portion of it yet. That should come next chapter. Also the next chapter will be written from third person view. Just letting you know so you aren't confused. It will make writing the next scenes a little easier.**


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT A/N**

 ***PLEASE READ***

 **I have decided to reopen Protective and Arkos but not fundraiser because I just can't get back into it. In regards to Arkos, I lost my notes which had the next 7 chapters outlined so I'm working off of memory of those notes. In regards to Protective, I pretty much have the rest of the story outlined from back when I was working on it except for the few final chapters. Greyscale and IFILWTAD are both new and I am proactively writing outlines for the chapters and planning where I want to go with the stories. Their status's in the writing process will be updated in my profile when they get worked on so check it out to find out where i am in the story! This A/N is getting long so i'll cut it off and let you get to the story...enjoy!**

A Reintroduction of Color

As I approached beacon cliffs with Pyrrha I saw professor Ozpin and his assistant standing in front of a line of grey tablets laid in the ground. As it seemed we were the last two to arrive and as such had to split and take our places on tablets several spots away from each other.

"To Address the rumors, you will be given partners who will be with you for the next four years...today. The first person that you make eye contact with will be your partner for your time at beacon. Now for the test, I hope you have all prepared landing strategies.

"Landing Strategy? Like one you make?" I asked incredulously as I heard the twang of a spring and saw a student being launched over the forest.

"Yes, Mr Arc, you will be falling. Take your position." Ozpin responded with a smirk that he hid behind his coffee mug. A few more students were shot off in rapid succession including Pyrrha.

"So I don't suppose you handed out parachuuuuutttteeeesssss." I screamed as my own platform launched me over the forest.

I flew through the air at high speeds...Well not really flew, more along the lines of tumbling like a rag doll. I could see my life flashing before my eyes. "That was a lot quicker than I expected!" I yelled as I continued to rag doll through the air.

As I decided to not want to see what was going to happen I shut my eyes. All of the sudden I felt my direction change as I flew through the air and in an instant I slammed into a hard surface and proceeded to hang from my hoodie.

My back was no doubt a full bruise at this point but I somehow survived but I still refused to open my eyes. I didn't want to see where I was. I've had a problem with heights.

My mind was racing through a bunch of scenarios. 'What if they don't find me? I'd starve to death. Or i'd be picked at by grimm. Oh no not that, anything but tha…'

"Jaune? Hello?'

'Wait, I know that voice'

"Pyrrha! I yelled as my eyes snapped open.

"So what? You just hanging around?" She said with a smirk while she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Haha, very funny. Can you get me down now?" I said with mock humor.

"Yeah, just one second." She replied as she closed her eyes to focus.

I felt my body being lifted by my armor and saw her spear come out of the tree and float down to her. I slowly descended as if I had a harness on until I reached the ground.

"Are you a magician?" I asked her with wide eyes.

"Am I a what?" She countered with a laugh.

"A magician!" I exclaimed. "How else did you get me down from there?" I said pointing at the tree for emphasis.

"No….I used my semblance." Pyrrha explained with a confused look on her face while brushing some dirt off of my shoulders and picking some leaves out of my hair.

"Your what?" I asked as he watched her pull a stick that looked to be much larger than it should be to be stuck in his hair.

"The ability given to us through our aura." Pyrrha continued to explain while stepping back and putting a hand on her hip.

"Our what?" I questioned as he scratched his head.

"Jaune, don't tell me you haven't unlocked you aura." Pyrrha said as her eyes went wide.

"Is that bad?" I said as I started poking my fingers together in a nervous habit.

"Yes! That's really bad! you could have died if I hadn't stuck you to that tree!" Pyrrha exclaimed grabbing me by my shoulders and shaking me slightly before quickly letting go and looking embarrassed.

"I know that….Thank you by the way. So for the record, how do I unlock my 'aura'." I asked with accompanying air quotes.

"Come here, I'll do it for you." She said as she grabbed both the back of my head and closed her eyes.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue

and glory to rise above all." Pyrrha began as she started to glow with a faint outline. "Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

It was once she was finished that I felt a rush of power much more than adrenaline. I looked down to my hands and saw that my body had a warm glow that slowly faded. As it faded my body stopped aching, what I thought was a bruise on my back felt like it was going away and after a couple seconds was gone completely.

"What was that?" I asked as I looked over my body which, save for a few cuts and holes in my cloths, was completely fine even though I crashed through a canopy.

"That was your aura Jaune. It automatically heals you and protects you from harm." Pyrrha explained as she panted slightly from exertion. "And you have a lot of it."

"It's like a forcefield!" I yelled as I threw my arms up in the air. "I feel invincible!"

"To put it in simple terms, yes that is what it is." Pyrrha said as she motioned me to continue walking. "However you have a limited amount that will slowly regenerate. But when it runs out you will find yourself exhausted and without protection."

"So still try not to get hit. Got it." I said as we came to a stop outside of a cave. "...do you feel like you are being watched?" I asked as i looked deep into the cave.

"Yes. But from where?" Pyrrha asked as she looked around cautiously.

"I think it's a good time for us to run!" I yelled as I turned and took off sprinting. Pyrrha heeded my advice and caught up to me quickly. As soon as we took off running a giant deathstalker burst out of the entrance of the cave destroying the sides holding the cave open.

We ran as hard as we can but the deathstalker seemed to be right on our heels. It was not till the forest started getting more dense did we gain ground from the giant Grimm. In a matter of minutes we came to a giant clearing with our objective, the temple, in the center. It looked like a group of our future classmates were also there watching as we broke the treeline. As we neared the group I did a quick count and noticed an odd number.

"There's an odd number. Who's missing?" I asked as we came to a stop in front of the group. Their response was to point up at a giant nevermore circling in the sky with a small figure on top of it.

"Who's up there?" I asked as I continued to watch the large bird.

"Weiss." Ruby replied.

"Why?"

"Because she didn't jump with me." Ruby stated with a frown.

I looked to Ruby with a confused look wondering why they were on the nevermore to begin with. By the time I looked back to the sky the figure was falling, and by the look of it was not slowing. Without a second thought I started to run to where the figure was falling. I didn't think I would make it until I dove with my eyes closed, not wanting to see what happened if I missed.

My hands hit cloth and a weight was on my arms. Before I could hit the ground I rolled onto my back to take the brunt of the fall and skid across the ground. It took a second for me to regain my senses, but when they did I could hear a crashing. I stood up quickly and helped Weiss off of the ground just in time for the deathstalker to come bursting through the trees right in front of me.

"Go! Run!" I yelled as I pushed Weiss behind me and drew my sword and shield. I used my shield to block one of the claws but before I could parry the other with my sword I was knocked away and landed on my back tens of meters from where I was. I looked up and saw the nevermore begin to dive and heard gunshots starting up to repel the giant bird.

I stood up quickly to see the deathstalker coming at me slowly.

"Out of my way!" I heard a voice yell from behind me and when I looked I saw Ruby running at me at full speed with her scythe extended behind her. As she blew past me I stabbed my sword into the ground and held tight. Her scythe blade caught on my own and spun her around back towards me.

"Ruby no! Go help the others!" I yelled as I looked at the deathstalker behind her. She gave me a look of protest but I was having none of that. "They need you! Go!" I yelled and gave her a push and then ran at my foe. I could hear the high power rounds from her sniper rifle and that gave me a clear mind as I parried the first blow from the deathstalker.

I took up a defensive stance and made sure to keep track of both claws and the stinger that loomed overhead. The deathstalker attacked in a process, it used its claws to make me commit to a defense and when I was committed it used it's other claw or the stinger to try to catch me off guard. It was ineffective though as I danced between blocks with the claws missing and the stinger making deep ruts in the ground.

My defense was steadfast and I was fearing well as I started to get around the grimms attacks and landing some attacks of my own. It wasn't until I heard a short scream that I made a mistake. I looked away from the deathstalker and over at the other fight. The deathstalker knocked me down and pinned me to the ground with one of its claws. In it's attack Crocea Mors was knocked far away much too far to be any use to me. I looked up and saw my doom...the deathstalkers stinger.

As I watched the stinger slowly descend to impale me I heard my name being yelled. But all I could focus on was my slowly coming demise. However in a flash a figure appeared above me, and in a display of skill, deflected the stinger off to the side and in a single slash cut the top stinger off between the plates of armor. Upon losing this body part the deathstalker released it's grip on me and backed away.

Everything was still slow for me. As I looked up in my world of nothing but black and white I saw a splash of color.

"Red" I whispered as I looked up at the figure who defended me. It was Pyrrha, her vibrantly red hair flowing in the wind as she looked down at me and helped me up. I was captivated at it's beauty. I lived in a world of grey scale for most of my life, it was like seeing colors for the first time.

"Red." I repeated as I kept staring at my savior.

"Jaune...Jaune...Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled as I snapped back into focus. The deathstalker seemed to be even more mad. It's mouth dripping with some sort of venom. Pyrrha handed me my weapons and I just continued to look at her. This was what it was like to have someone. To have someone that you want to protect.

"Stay here." I said as I started to glow, my body feeling stronger, faster, more agile. I sprinted at the deathstalker, dropping my shield as I did so. I grabbed my sword in a two handed grip and pushed myself to an even greater speed.

As I approached the deathstalker it reached out with both of it's claws simultaneously, intending to just snip me in half. Time slowed for an instant. As I watched the pincers get closer and closer I waited till the last second to make my move. I slid under the claws and just as I got under the deathstalkers head I pushed my sword straight up with all my might. The sword piercing the armor and going hilt deep. The deathstalker stopped moving instantly, and the next thing I knew it's legs gave out and it fell on top of me.

In the darkness and overwhelming weight of the now decaying corpse of the Grimm I just killed all I could think of was red. How I wanted to see it again. How it is something I want to see every day. How it is something I want to protect.

It was an effort, but with my new force field aura stuff protecting me I was able to slowly maneuver my sword into a two handed reverse grip and began to push. The blade, which was still planted deep in the deathstalkers head, began to slide and started a deep gash in the underside of the deathstalkers that I continued to expand.

When I figured the new hole in the underside of the decaying Grimm was large enough I wriggled myself inside, making sure to take a deep breath. When inside I forced my way upwards, stabbing, hacking, and slashing my way higher until I came to the other side of the Grimm. The back.

Repeating the process, I used all my strength to push my blade through the spine and armor of the deathstalker and when through all of the way to the hilt I began to open a hole in the back just as I did with the underside. Finally, with my lungs burning and my limbs going numb from what I thought to be over exertion, I broke through the top and gasped for air.

I looked down to the base of the deathstalker and the whole group was standing and looking up with me in awe, the decapitated never more decaying in the background. All I could do was look down at them and smile.

"I really need a shower now." I said with a laugh as I scratched the back of my head, my body covered in a black sludge like substance.

 **Hey guys! Longer chapter than usual due to the fighting and the like. I hope you enjoyed. If you still have questions about the whole concept of grey scale and how it came to be let me know in a review and I'll answer it with the following chapter! Until next time** ,

 **LastchaosDarknoman**


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